I HAVE A DREAM

You may be wondering why a real estate blog would post something about Martin Luther King? Many people are not aware of how much Martin Luther King helped the lives of home buyers, sellers, and real estate agents.

Martin Luther King’s death gave Congress the last push needed to pass the Fair Housing Act in 1968. The Fair Housing Act was put into place to ban racial discrimination in housing. You cannot be refused the rental or purchase of a house based upon your race.

It didn’t happen overnight. Believe it or not, it still can and does come up. Last year the National Association of Realtors passed a ban on all Pocket Listings. Pocket listings are listings held off-market by a real estate agent that shares that information with whomever they so choose. Studies have shown that the last people to hear about Pocket Listings were people of color.

A large number of homes are sold off the market. Oftentimes the agent with the pocket listing is double-ending the sale. The ban on Pocket Listings began on January 1, 2020. Implementation begins on May 1, 2020.

As professionals we’re tasked with making people aware that discrimination based on race is not acceptable. We must refuse to work with anyone that wants to do so. I’m proud to be a part of this ongoing history.

Share this:
Mark Danforth Lomas

Recent Posts

The Compass Anywhere Merger

The residential real estate industry just witnessed a seismic event: the proposed combination of Compass…

7 days ago

Sightings 2025

If 2025 were a high-society treasure hunt, the Montecito Journal’s “Sightings” column would be the…

2 weeks ago

South Santa Barbara Market Trends

As Q3 wraps and September’s stats roll in, South Santa Barbara County’s residential market tells…

2 weeks ago

Santa Barbara’s Boroughs in Motion

In 2021, the Santa Barbara Independent publication heralded the "Boroughs of Santa Barbara," selecting seven…

3 weeks ago

Navigating the Waters: Mortgage Rates and the Government Shutdown

The world of mortgage interest rates can feel like a constantly shifting landscape, and right…

1 month ago

Paul McCartney Rocks the Santa Barbara Bowl

Santa Barbara had its own Beatlemania moment last Friday night when Sir Paul McCartney kicked…

1 month ago